WhiteBox Networks

Optics / Engineering guide

Coding, fit, and qualification.

Three separate questions sit behind a supported connection.

WBN editorial draft 1 November 2026 Sources & scope
Identity Specification Qualification Keep the complete connection in view
Simplified reference. Exact geometry and operating requirements belong to the selected product.
Download guide PDF ↧ Editable Markdown ↧ 2 pages · Rev 2026-11-01 Fill in the related worksheet ↗
In this guide

What identity does the host see?

Record the requested identity/coding profile separately from the module's hardware and firmware. A readable identity is useful identification evidence; it does not establish the entire link's operating envelope.

Does the specification fit?

Compare package, electrical lanes, optical interface, protocol, power and temperature requirements with the exact model. Keep required host settings attached to that comparison.

What was actually qualified?

A useful qualification record identifies the host model, software, module revision, operating mode and scope of the result. Vendor compatibility material can be specific to a firmware release. It cannot establish qualification of a WBN product that it does not name.

In practice / Worked example

Three records. Three different conclusions.

A readable module identity and an operational link answer different questions. Preserve the evidence behind each conclusion.

Record Evidence to retain What it supports
Coding Reported identity and requested profile The host reads the intended identity
Specification fit Package, interfaces, permitted power and temperature Documented requirements have been compared
Qualification Host, software, module revision, settings, traffic and errors That configuration passed the stated test

A readable identity cannot fill an empty qualification record. NVIDIA’s ConnectX-6 firmware 20.38.1002 reference lists specific cable part numbers by supported rate; preserve that release and part-number context. This worksheet is an editorial evidence structure, not a NVIDIA test procedure or a WBN test result.

Source: NVIDIA · ConnectX-6 Firmware Compatible Products ↗ Firmware 20.38.1002 · version-specific compatibility tables

Before you specify

  • Identity requested
  • Specification conditions satisfied
  • Exact host/software/model evidence
Open optical configuration

Sources & scope

General engineering guidance. External examples describe their own products and do not establish WBN availability or qualification.

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